Citations and Organization Context: When you write an evidence (or research) based essay, the Modern Language Association (MLA) provides a variety of ways through which to cite other texts. These methods, called “MLA in-text citations” or “MLA citation styles,” are used to appropriately cite (“giving credit to”) researched information.
Rule #1: To argue a point, you must first make a claim—an arguable statement presented “as if inarguable fact.” For example, here is a claim statement made in a student essay on gun control laws. It is presented as it would appear on an outline, submitted to a teacher:
Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States.
Notice that the writer does not use “I think” or “I believe” or “in my opinion.” The idea that “liberal-minded politicians believe” this is arguable—not all of them do—but the whole statement, presented “as fact,” makes the speaker’s point more powerful, and declarative.
Rule #2: A claim must be followed by cited, credible evidence. Here is an example:
However, as historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39).
By citing the information this way, the teacher or grader knows where the information was found. In this example, the evidence comes from a book. The student writing this essay indicates the page number from that book, where a reader can, if need be, search for the cited passage.
Of special note: What if this essay was written in a test-taking testing situation, wherein the test-creators included written materials from which to draw evidence? On those tests, if the written materials contain line numbers along the margin, the essay writer would then include those line numbers in the parenthesis at the end of the cited passage (not page numbers from the test).
Rule #3: The writer knows to transitionfrom the claim statement into the cited evidence. Note the use of the transitional phrase “however.”
There are other transitional phrases worth using here, as so not to sound monotonous. Here are two other versions of appropriate transitions:
As historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39).
or
According to Yan Smith, historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodesSecond Amendment rights” (39).
Rule #4: Notice that writer calls attention to all information that indicates thecredibility—the trustworthiness—of the source. In this case, not only does this information come from a historian but also a professor—from a reputable college, no less! The writer also cites the title of the resource (in this case, a book). Quotation marks indicate that proceeding words belong to the source, not the writer. (Always give credit where credit is due!) This passage, as it would exist in an outline, must indicate, MLA-style, the page number from Yang’s book.
Rule #5: The writer must now elaborate, in his or her “own words,” exactly how the piece of cited evidence serves to prove a point. This “link” statement “connects the writer’s original point to the evidence and explains the relationship between both. For example:
In other words, in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.
Rule #6: Again, notice the transitional phrase (“in other words”), moving the reader from the evidence of the source back to your words, connections, and thinking. Notice also, the link is very elaborate: it starts by paraphrasing of the evidence, in more detail; it continues on with a specific, conciseelaboration (multiple sentences)explaining, in detail, how the cited evidence “proves” the writer’s original point.
Put it all together! Claim (“Main Idea”), Evidence, and Link:
(CLAIM/MAIN IDEA) Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States. However, (EVIDENCE) as historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39). In other words, (LINK) in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.
Don’t forget about those transitions!
Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States. (TRANSITION) However, s historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes [speaker’s emphasis] Second Amendment rights” (39). (TRANSITION) In other words, in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.
Context: When you write an evidence (or research) based essay, the Modern Language Association (MLA) provides a variety of ways through which to cite other texts. These methods, called “MLA in-text citations” or “MLA citation styles,” are used to appropriately cite (“giving credit to”) researched information.
Rule #1:
To argue a point, you must first make a claim—an arguable statement presented “as if inarguable fact.” For example, here is a claim statement made in a student essay on gun control laws. It is presented as it would appear on an outline, submitted to a teacher:
Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States.
Notice that the writer does not use “I think” or “I believe” or “in my opinion.” The idea that “liberal-minded politicians believe” this is arguable—not all of them do—but the whole statement, presented “as fact,” makes the speaker’s point more powerful, and declarative.
Rule #2:
A claim must be followed by cited, credible evidence. Here is an example:
However, as historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39).
By citing the information this way, the teacher or grader knows where the information was found. In this example, the evidence comes from a book. The student writing this essay indicates the page number from that book, where a reader can, if need be, search for the cited passage.
Of special note: What if this essay was written in a test-taking testing situation, wherein the test-creators included written materials from which to draw evidence? On those tests, if the written materials contain line numbers along the margin, the essay writer would then include those line numbers in the parenthesis at the end of the cited passage (not page numbers from the test).
Rule #3:
The writer knows to transition from the claim statement into the cited evidence. Note the use of the transitional phrase “however.”
There are other transitional phrases worth using here, as so not to sound monotonous. Here are two other versions of appropriate transitions:
As historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39).
or
According to Yan Smith, historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodesSecond Amendment rights” (39).
Rule #4:
Notice that writer calls attention to all information that indicates the credibility—the trustworthiness—of the source. In this case, not only does this information come from a historian but also a professor—from a reputable college, no less! The writer also cites the title of the resource (in this case, a book). Quotation marks indicate that proceeding words belong to the source, not the writer. (Always give credit where credit is due!) This passage, as it would exist in an outline, must indicate, MLA-style, the page number from Yang’s book.
Rule #5:
The writer must now elaborate, in his or her “own words,” exactly how the piece of cited evidence serves to prove a point. This “link” statement “connects the writer’s original point to the evidence and explains the relationship between both. For example:
In other words, in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.
Rule #6:
Again, notice the transitional phrase (“in other words”), moving the reader from the evidence of the source back to your words, connections, and thinking. Notice also, the link is very elaborate: it starts by paraphrasing of the evidence, in more detail; it continues on with a specific, concise elaboration (multiple sentences)explaining, in detail, how the cited evidence “proves” the writer’s original point.
Put it all together! Claim (“Main Idea”), Evidence, and Link:
(CLAIM/MAIN IDEA) Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States. However, (EVIDENCE) as historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights” (39). In other words, (LINK) in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.
Don’t forget about those transitions!
Liberal-minded politicians believe that passing more legislation to slow gun sales will lower instances of gun violence in the United States. (TRANSITION) However, s historian and University of California-Berkley social sciences professor Smith Yang states, in his book Forget Not the Constitution, “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes [speaker’s emphasis] Second Amendment rights” (39). (TRANSITION) In other words, in thinking about our nation’s ongoing gun debate, we must put aside instances of crimes committed by people who illegally obtained guns. Stricter regulations inhibit the legal purchase of guns by law-abiding citizens. New gun laws only infringe upon a constitutional right we all share. Changing laws on gun sales incorrectly implies that law-abiding citizens are those engaging in illegal activity.